SD Delegation Reaction Split Along Party Lines

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld many of the key pieces of the controversial federal health care law including the individual mandate to buy health insurance.

The justices ruled Thursday that the penalty for not having health care coverage can be seen as a tax, making it Constitutional.

South Dakota's Congressional Delegation was split along party lines when it came to weighing in on the decision.

"I look forward to continue working with members of both parties to reduce health care costs and increase health insurance coverage. The Supreme Court's decision upholding the health care reform law gives us the foundation to do just that,” Democratic South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson said.

"It's interesting and ironic that what they found to make it Constitutional was the fact that the individual mandate was a tax. It's something that the President of the United States made abundantly clear, in his words 'absolutely clear,' that this is not a tax when they were trying to pass this,” Republican South Dakota Senator John Thune said.